Spring 2
This half term our theme is Growing. We will have a focus on life cycles, animals and their babies as well as giving the children lots of opportunities to plant seeds and sequence stages of plant growth. We will look at how the natural world changes in Spring time and all of the new life that happens. We will grow butterflies and observe other animals.
As part of our topic we will engage with role play activities in our garden centre in order to develop our imagination and language around transactions. Some of our expressive arts and design activities this term will be linked to observation about parts of a flower and looking at pattern and shape in fruit and vegetables and using vegetables to print. We will make fruit salads and fruit faces too.
We are lucky to have a visit from the Farm on Wheels to support our work on this topic too and have other special events and days planned throughout this half term such as world book day.
Our Talk for Writing texts this half term are 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and 'Handa's Surprise'.
Children will be learning to listen, respond and join in with actions to retell the story. They will answer questions about the text and characters, take part in role play and learn to make their own story maps.
Children will be writing about the story using simple phonics to spell words and simple captions/ sentences as well as writing their own stories. They will also be making lists, labels and writing down facts. Children will write instructions, posters and even have a go at some simple spring poetry.
In maths we will be focussing on shape, space and measures.
We will be learning to recognise and recreate simple ABAB patterns and building up to more complex ABC and AABC patterns. Children will also be comparing height and length using non standard measures and discussing capacity. We will be coming back to look at 2D shape and their properties and beginning to explore 3D shapes.
In RE children will be learning about Lent in the first part of the half term. Thinking about why it is an important season for the church and noticing changes to our prayer area. They will recognise that it is a special time for prayer. They will listen to stories about Jesus' during the time of Lent.
We will also begin our work on Holy Week. They will know about some of the events of Holy Week and be able to talk about what Jesus did on Palm Sunday, The Last Supper and Good Friday. They will understand the importance and meaning of the cross.
In PE this half term children will be working on their skills and movement to music in Dance. They will be learning to hear and move to a rhythm and with different movements using all parts of their bodies.
In Music the children will be given the opportunity to use keyboards and ukuleles. They will be learning basic notes and developing better rhythm and listening skills.